Automobile hood clamp



Juliy 24l w23- AUTOMOBILE HOOD CLAMP Filed May 4, 1922 Patented daily 2d, EQ2/i330 WILLEM E. BASSICK, 0F BRXDGIEPORT, CNNECTCUT,ASSGNR T@ GGMPANY, OF IBRIDGEPOET, CDNNECTECUT, A CGEEQRATIN UEE CONECTGUT.

AUTOMOBLE Application led May d,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ll, WILLIAM R. BAssIoK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and 5 State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Hood Clamps, of which the following is a specification. `The invention relates to improvements 1n l@ automobile hood clamps. An object of the invention is the provision of improved clamping devices whereby the engine hood may be detachably secured in an effective manner to the frame of an automobile. rl`he 115 invention has particular reference to forms of clamping device in which a hold down clamp and a side engaging clamp or surface are provided, the side engaging clampl or surface being adapted to bear against the side of the hood to press the latter lirmly against a lateral flange or seat provided on the frame. One of the particular objects of the present invention is the provision of means whereby the clamping 25 member may be adjusted in position in re-` lation to the engine frame and hood and held in adjusted position so that the side engaging clamp or surface may always be brought into firm engagement with the side 30 of the hood, regardless of wear. rlhis is accomplished, in the preferred form of the invention, by the provision of an abutment member adapted to be mounted on or secured to a frame member of the automobile, which abutment member has a roughened or serrated `surface or is otherwise formed to hold a cooperating portion of the clamping member in adjusted position, this portion of the clamping member being yieldingly held against such serrated surface and movable relativel thereto into adjusted position.

ln or er that the invention may be more clearly understood attention is hereby direoted to the accompanying drawings torming part of this application and illustrating one embodiment of the invention. ln the drawings I Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of a n clamping device, embodying one form of o the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view or the noon criant.

1922. Serial No. 559,412.

lower portion of the clamping member, and coacting parts,

Fig. 3a 1s a similar sectional view showing a modification, and

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3, a portion being broken away to show the construction underneath.

Referring to the drawings, the engine hood indicated at l is to be clamped to the frame and hood seat of the automobile, a'portion of which is indicated at 2. lln the construction illustrated the hood is to be clamped against an upstanding strip 3 which may be fastened to frame portion 2.

'l he clamping member illustrated comprises a barrel or cylinder 4t within which is slidably mounted a rod 5 having a head or washer 6 at its upper end slidably engaging the interior surface of the barrel d. The hold down clamp comprises a hook 7 which extends laterally' and downwardly from the upper portion of barrel 4. As illustrated, this hook may be integral with a cap member 8 which is secured on the upper end of the barrel, and handle members 9 may also be formed on member 8, if desired.

The hold down clamp or hook member 7 is adapted to engage over a bracket 10 secured to hood 1. rllhe side engaging clamp or member is illustrated as comprising a. pad 11 secured to a boss 12 which may be formed on orsecured to barrel 4, and adapted to press against the side of hood 1 to force the latter firmly against flange 3 of the automobile hood sill.

llt is, oin course', obvious that the engaging pad 11 might be secured to the hood or combined with bracket 10, instead of to the barrel, as shown. Pad 11 may be formed of rubber or other desired material.

A base bracket 13 is secured to the frame member 2, as by means of securing devices such as rivets or screws 14, or it may, of course, be integral with a trame member ot the automobile. This base bracket i' formed, in the embodiment of the invention. illustrated, to provide a central portion 15 which extends towards hood 1, this portion 15 having a slot 16, extending therethrough in the axial direction of the bracket, that is towards hood 1. rEhe portion 15 et the bracket may extend horizontally as shown the invention being, however, not limited to a horizontal arrangement of portion 15.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated the rod extendsl slidably through a suitable openin in the bottom portion 17 of barrel 4, rod 5 also extending through slot 16 in the portion 15 ot' the base bracket. Rod 5 is provided at its lower end with an enlarged head 18, which, as in the construction yshown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, may take the form of a T head on rod 5, with the upper surfaces of the head inclined towards each other to form a sharp edge 181 (Fig. 3). A spring-19 is coiled around rod 5 within barrel 4, the upper end of the spring pressing against the head or piston 6 at the upper end of rod 5 while the lower end of the spring bears against the bottom portion 17 of the barrel. The spring acts accordingly to press the barrel downwardly and the rod upwardly.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the under surface of the portion of bracket 13 is prot vided with serrations or teeth 20, these extending parallel to the side of hood 1. Teeth 20 may be formed like ratchet teeth, as shown. The sharp edge 181 of head 18 is adapted to engage between the teeth or serrations 20 of the bracket, these "teeth being shown in Figs. 2 and 3 as having one side of each of the same vertical and the other side inclined to the vertical, so as to permit movement of head 18 towards the hood` but to prevent reverse movement of head 18, when the device is in operation.

With such a construction the engagement of head 18 on rod 5 with the under surface of portion 15 of the base bracket will permit rocking of the clamping member about the point or points of engagement between head 18 and the under side of portion 15 of the base bracket, in a plane towards and away from the hood. The slot 16 through which rod 5 extends should also be made sufficiently wide to allow some pivotal movement of rod 5 in a plane at right angles to the slot, that is parallel to the length of hood 1, to permit slight sliding movement of the hood relative to the automobile frame, as is likely to occur during the running of the car.

When the device is to be put in use, barrel 4 is raised by means ot the two handle members 9 and the hold down clamp or hook 7 lslipped over bracket 10 on the hood whereupon spring 19 will press the head or enlargement 18 upwardly against the under surface of portion 15 of the base bracket, and will press the hold down clamp 7 downwardly u on bracket 10. Barrel 4 may then be pushe towards the hood. if the side engaging pad 11 is not already in firm engagement with the hood, so that there will be firmengagemcnt of this pad against lthe hood. The teeth 2O on the under surface of portion 15 of the base bracket and edge 181 maaar? on the upper surface of head 18 at the bottom of rod 5 are so formed, as stated, as to permit movement of the lower portion of the clamping device towards the hood, under pressure, the edge 181 on head 18 clicking or riding over the teeth on portion 15 of the base bracket, when the device is so pressed. The clamping device will swing, during this smovement, about the point of engagement between hold down hook 7 and bracket 10. When the side engaging clamp or pad 11 has been brought into firm engagement with the side of the hood, the engagement of edge 181 on head 18 of rod 5 with the teeth 20 will be sufiicient to hold or latch the device in such adjusted position.

T he use of the teeth on ortion 15 of the base bracket with the'coactln ltooth or edge on the bottom head 18 of ro 5 enables the clamping member to be adjusted towards the hood, as stated, so as tov insure a firm seating of the side engaging clamp or surface against the hood regardless of wear. Such an arrangement will also constitute a swivel connection between the clamping member and the automobile frame, the clamping member being adapted to oscillate about the point of Contact between head 18 and the under surface of portion 15 of the base bracket, in substantially the same mail- Vner as would be permitted by a universal joint, within limits which are wideenough to accommodate the various relative movements of the parts which may occur in the operation of a car on which the hood is clamped.

A modified construction is shown in Fig. 3, in which the portion 15 of bracket 13 is provided with rounded serrations or teeth. 201, in place ot the sharp inclined teeth 2O previously described. In this form of construction the yhead 18a of rod 5 will, or may, be a rounded T head, as shown, adapted to engage between the serrations. Otherwise the constructionv-may be the same as in the form previously described.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction described and that various forms of clamping devices may be used within the scope of the invention. The term clamping member as used in the claims may be understood to designate the clamping device as a whole. which in the particular embodiment illustrated includes the barrel 4, rod 5 and spring` 19, together with the hold down clamp and the Iside engaging clamp or surface.

1. In an automobile hood clamp, the. combination of a clamping member having a hold down clamp at the upper part thereof, adapted to clamp a hood to an automobile frame. a side engaging clamp, and a part adapted to make a pivotal connection with llt) the frame, means enablingthe adjustment of position of the pivotal connection with respect to the hood to engage the side engaging clamp with the side of the hood, and means for holding the pivot point of said part in adjusted position.

2. In an automobile hood clamp, the combination of a clamping member adapted to clamp a hood to an automobile frame and having an upper engaging flange adapted to engage over a flange on the hood, to press the latter downwardly, and a lower` side engaging clamp, the clamping member being adapted to swing, -under pressure, about the engaging point of said flanges. into an adjusted position, in which said side engaging clamp will press against the side of the hood, and an abutment on the automobile frame constructed to latch the lower end of' said member in anyone of a number of adjusted positions. l

3. ln an automobile hood clamp, the combination of a fixed abutment adapted to be mounted on an automobile frame member and having a serrated surface. and a clamping member having hold down means adapted to engage the automobile hood. to clamp it to the frame, a side engaging clamp, means adapted to engage said serrated surface. and spring means for yieldingly pressing said first and second means into clamping relation to said hood and against said surface. respectively. said second means being movable relative to said serrated surface -for adjustment ot the position of said clamping member to engage said side engaging clamp with the side or the hood, said second means being formed to elect a pivotal connection with said abutment inany adjusted position.

4. ln an automobile hood clamp, the combination or' a Fixed abutment adapted to be mounted on an automobile trame member, and a clamping member having a hold down clamp, a side engaging clamp, and means coacting with said abutment, and spring pressed to maintain said clamps in engagement with the hood, said' means being movable With respect to said abutment, to- Wards and away from the hood, for adjustment, and said means and abutment being adapted to coact to latch said means in adjusted position.

5. ln an automobile hood clamp, the oombination of a member carrying a hold down clamp, a rod longitudinally slidable through bearings in said member, and having an enlargement at its lower end, a spring coacting with said member and rod to press the former dovvn and the latter up, relatively to each other, and a serrated abutment adapted to coact with said enlargement at the lower end of said rod to hold the latter in adjusted position, said enlargement and abutment forming a pivotal connection in any adjusted position olE said member and' rod.

6. ln an automobile hood clamp, the combination of a lined abutment adapted to be mounted on an automoible frame member and having a serrated iovver surtaee, and a clamping member comprising a barrel. having a hold dovvn clamp at its upper end' and a side engaging clamp adjacent lower end, a rod longitudinally slidable 'through the lower end of said and a spring coacting with said barrel and rod to press the `former down and the latter up. relatif-:reha to each other` said abutmem| having a slot through which said end entends and csid rodfhaving a head at its lower end sharp upper surface adapted against said serrated sur-ace and dat-eh s rod in adjusted position.

Signed at Bridgeport, in ro Fairfield and State oit Connecticut te i day of May A. 1922. 

